Valve operator



Oct. 23, 1951 H. w. M PHERSON 2,572,175

VALVE OPERATOR Original Filed Jan. 14, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 VALVE OPERATOR Hal W. McPherson, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Skinner Chuck Company, a corporation of Connecticut Original application January 14, 1944, Serial No.

518,233, now Patent No. 2,407,761, dated September 17, 1946. Divided and this application June 6, 1945, Serial "No. 597,738

2 Claims. 1

This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 518,233, filed January 14, 1944 for Valves, now U. S. Letters Patent 2,407,761 issued September 1'7, 1946.

This invention has to do with valves, and is particularly concerned with an operator or pilot for shut-off valves of the type in which the'pressure of the fluid entering the valve is utilized to either open or close the valve under the control of an associated'operating device, although also generally useful as a fluid flow control in other applications.

It is an object of the invention to provide an electromagnetically-energized operator or pilot having utility as a control device for a valve or analogous member, which device is unfailingly reliable in operation under all conditions of pressure, temperature and the like.

Still another object is to provide, in connection with a valve of the type described, an improved solenoid-actuated operator for controlling the valve, which operator uses but a very small amount of current.

While an operator constructed in accordance with the present invention can be used advantageously in many different applications, it is especially well suited for use in airplane fuel line applications and other similarly exacting situations where lightness, compactness, simplicity, ease of control, and dependability are factors of prime importance.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the inventionbut other more specific objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the new valve.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig, 1 is a vertical section through the center of a fully balanced valve having an operator constructed in accordance with the invention, show, ing the valve p n; and

Fi 2 i a simil r se tion showing the valve osed- .As will be observed in these vi w the valve nc ud a ody In which con a ns a hamber ll. an, in et p rt l2. an an outl t port 13. Th b dy i s comp se of tw complem ntary parts it an 15 wh ch are suita ly fastened t ether. he hamber I I in the bo y is shallow circular avity which s. di ded b a flex ble. diaphragm I! in o a front porti n It and. a portion It. The r o l9 ma ther tore be onsidered as a substan y-clos cha ber which i cl des a flexibl phragm on all thereof- T e front wall 20 of the chamber H is dished forwardly to conform generally to the shape of the diaphragm -I 1 when the latter is in its forwardly flexed position, and is provided with two circular seats 2] and 22 whichare located at opposite sides of the center of the front'portion of the chamber H in laterally-spaced relation to each other. The seats 2| and 22 form the ends of the inlet and outlet ports 12 and i3, and are located on bead-like rims 23 and 24 which-project rear-- wardly from the front wall 20, leaving channels 25 in the front portion of the chamber H about such rims. The seats 2| and 22 have the same dished curvature as diaphragm II when the latter is in its forwardly-flexed position (Fig. 2) and are adapted to be engaged-and sealed by the diaphragm i1.

The 'diapl'iragm H is fluid impervious. The fluid used in flooding the rear portion i9 of'the chamber 1! to move the diaphragm forwardly into sealed engagement with the seats 2! and 22 both enters and leaves the rear portion. 19 through a duct 58. The valve is fully balanced in the sense that it will handle a flow passing through the valve in either direction, 1; e., ports I2 and I3 may be interchanged as inlet and outlet ports.

A solenoid operator 31 is connected with th valve for operating the same. This operator includes a base plate 32 which is secured to the rear wall 33 of the chamber l l by suitable means. lhe operator 3! is provided with a relatively small, shallow circular chamber 35, which chamber is formed partly in the base plate 32 and partly in the rear wall 33. thin marginally-perforated flexible diaphragm 36 which is clamped marginally between the base plate and the rear wall. The diaphragm '36 divides the chamber 35' intoa front portion 31 and a rear portion 38. The diaphragm is provided at its outer edge with a thickened portion39 of synthetic rubber or other suitable sealing material, and is provided, at its center, with a por tion 40 of similar sealing material. The dia phragm 36 has a marginally perforated portion 4|, through which the fluid can flow to equalize the pressure in the chamber 35 on both sides of the diaphragm. The portion 4| also acts as a protecting filter for the cooperating parts of the solenoid. The center portion 40 of the diaphragm is adapted to engage the valve seats presently to be described.

The diaphragm 36 is the operator 3| is provided on its front face with an annular reinforcing washer 41 on its rear face with an annular arma- The chamber 35 contains a washer 41 and the disk 48 are larger than the j seats with which they are to cooperate, as will presently be explained.

The base plate 32 of the operator 3| supports two suitable pole pieces which are threaded through the base plate into the rear portion 38 of the chamber 35 at points eouidistant from t' e center of the armature disk 48, forv electromagnetic coaction with the latter. The pole pieces are encircled by magnetic coils 52 and are bridged by a tie bar 53 to form the electromagnet of a solenoid. This electromagnet is housed within a cap 54 which fits over a rim 55 on the base plate. The diaph'rag'm '36 is movable rearwardlv into sealed engagement with an annular seat 59 and is movable forwardly into sealed engagement with an annular seat 60. The seat 59 forms the end of a duct 6! which leads by a rather circuitous path from one of the connected channels surrounding the seats 2| and 22 in the front portion [8 of the chamber H in the valve. The seat 59 opens into'the rear portion 38 of the chamber in the operator and communicates with the duct 58through the perforated portion of the diaphragm 36' when the latter is in its forwardlyflexed' position in sealed engagement with the seat 50. The seatfill forms the entrance to a duct 52: which during the opening movement only of the valve discharges a' small quantity of the fluid either into the atmosphere or into a conduit 63 leading toa container or other low pressure part of the svstem. The duct 58 communicates with the'discharge duct 62 through the front portion 31 of the chamber 35 when the diaphragm 36 is in its rearwardlv flexed position in sealed engagementwith the seat'59.

When the solenoid in the operator 3| is in its energized'condition, as shown in Fig. l, the seat 59 will be closed and the seat 60 will be open. As a result, the duct 6| used in flooding the rear portion I9 of the chamber i I during the valveclosing operation will be closed and the duct 62 used in evacuating the rear portion I9 during the valve opening operation will be open to the atmosphere, maintaining the diaphragm i! in its rearwardly-flexedor open position. When the solenoid in the operator is de-energized, as shown in Fig. 2, the seat 59 will be opened and the seat 60 will be closed. This will open the duct 5! and allow the fluid being handled through ports l2 and I3 to pass through such duct into the rear portion IQ of the chamber." The fluid entering the rear portion will be pocketed in the same and prevented from leaving by the closed condition of the duct 62, and will result in the rear portion [9 of the chamber becoming flooded, causing the diaphragm I! to move into sealed engagement with first one of the'ports 2| and 22 and then the other, the order depending, of course, upon the direction of flow between ports l2 and 13. When the diaphragm H has flexed forwardly into a position wherein the downstream seat of the seats 2] and 22 is engaged by the diaphragm, the fluid will continue to flow momentarily from the upstream seat into the channels 25 and thence through duct 6! until the pressure behind the diaphragm l1 urging it ag ainst the seats has reached the pressure of the fluid in the inlet port,

4 whereupon the diaphragm will be securely sealed against the seats and maintained in such sealed condition by the pressure of the fluid on the inlet side. After the valve has been closed it will shut off the flow through the valve between ports i2 and I3 and will hold the fluid against pressure in either direction. When the solenoid is again energized, the fluid pocketed behind the diaphragm 11 will escape through the duct 62 and the valve will resume its opened position.

If it is desired to have the valve move into its closed position instead of into its open position when the solenoid in the operator 3| is energized, this can be done very simply by substituting an operator in which the positions of the seats 59 and 60 with respect to the diaphragm 36 are reversed.

In constructing a valve in accordance with the invention, the metal parts of the valve are preferably made of aluminum, or of some alloy of aluminum, whereby to reduce the weight of the valve to a minimum and at the same time avoid the necessity of insulating the electrically-actuated parts of the operator. Said operator, as illustrated and described, is reliable and unfailing in action under the most exacting conditions. As stated, fluid pressure on opposite sides of the armature'carrying diaphragm 36 is equalized by the perforated construction thereof. Hence, the factor of variable pressure is nullified in the calculation of the requisite electromagnetic force which must be selectively first produced at the solenoid poles and then diminished or eliminated in order to enable alternate shifting of the diaphragm from the seat-exposing position of Fig. 1 to the seat-covering position of Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. In a valve of the type having means defining a substantially closed chamber including a flexible diaphragm as one wall thereof, spaced inlet and outlet valve seat means external to said chamber, said diaphragm constituting a valve head means for said valve seat means, first duct means for providing communication between said chamber and said inlet and outlet valve seat means at a point between said inlet and outlet valve seat means for ingress of fiuid to said chamher from said valve seat means, and second duct means for egress of fluid from said chamber, said chamber being expandible and contractible by means of said diaphragm to cause 'coaction between said diaphragm and valve seat means responsive to said ingress and egress of said fluid to and from said chamber, the improvement comprising an apparatus for controlling said ingress and egress comprising means defining a second chamber in communication with said first mentioned chamber and interposed between the latter chamber and said first and second duct means, said second chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports respectively in communication with said first and second duct means, an electromagnetically responsive diaphragm device extending across said second chamber and having a port engaging element alternately engageable with one or the other of said ports to cutoff ingress or egres of fluid relative to said second chamber, and controllably energizable electromagnetic means. effective upon energization thereof to cause engagement of said port engaging element with one of said ports, and upon deenergization thereof to permitengagement of said port engaging element with the other of said ports, said diaphragm. device being perforated tor equalization of fluid pressure on opposite sides of the device regardless of which port is engaged thereby.

2. In a valve of the type having means defining a substantially closed chamber including a flexible diaphragm as one wall thereof, spaced inlet and outlet valve seat means external to said chamber, said diaphragm constituting a valve head means for said valve seat means, first duct means for providing communication between said chamber and said inlet and outlet valve seat means at a point between said inlet and outlet valve seat means for ingress of fluid to said chamber from said valve seat means, and second duct means for egress of fluid from said chamber, said chamber being expandible and contractible by means of said diaphragm to cause coaction between said diaphragm and valve seat means responsive to said ingress and egress of said fluid to and from said chamber, the improvement comprising an apparatus for controlling said ingress and egress comprising means defining a second chamber in communication with said first mentioned chamber and interposed between the latter chamber and said first and second duct means, said second chamber having fluid inlet and outlet ports respectively in communication with said first and second duct means, a second flexible diaphragm having an electromagnetic armature thereon and extendlng across said second chamber, said second diaphragm being selectively engageable with one or the other of said ports to cut off fluid ingress to or egress from said second chamber through said first and second duct means, and controllably energizable electromagnetic means effective upon energization thereof to cause engagement of said diaphragm with said inlet port and upon de-energization thereof to permit engagement. of said diaphragm with said outlet port, said diaphragm being perforated for equalization of fluid pressure on opposite sides thereof regardless of which port is engaged thereby.

HAL W. MCPHERSON- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 409,170 Wheeler Aug. 20, 1889. 1,767,201 Boynton June 24, 1930 2,054,909 Morehouse Sept. 22, 1936 2,117,096 Klawitter May 10, 1938 2,216,855 Sanford -4-.. Oct. 8, 1940 2,263,819 Ray Nov. 25, 1941 2,289,456 Ray July 14, 1942 2,292,477 Ray Aug. 11, 1942 2,358,828 Ray Sept. 26, 1944 2,382,664 Ray Aug. 14, 1945 2,388,868 Ray Nov. 13, 1945 2,407,761 McPherson Sept. 17, 1946 

